Patent Application
20080017397
A folding assembly type cable protection and guide device, which is the first example according to the present invention, will be described with reference to
Here,
The folding assembly type cable protection and guide device of the present example is used for connecting a movable section and a stationary section of a device and supplying the device with energy such as electric power or compressed air. Examples may include: a semiconductor device, a pharmacy developing testing device, a vehicle door opening/closing device, a vehicle slide seat, or a vehicle motor sunroof. The folding assembly type cable protection and guide device safely and reliably guides and protects a cable (cables) C such as an electric cable, which transmits and supplies electric signals and a hose, which supplies pressure liquid or pressure gas.
The device can exhibit a linear position or a flexing position in accordance with a relative remote movement state between the movable section and the stationary portion (not shown). As shown in
It is noted that in the present example, polypropylene is used as a material of the synthetic resin film tape 100. Polypropylene is easily processed in extrusion molding and easily punched. Further, polypropylene provides stability of the cable accommodating space.
Namely, the above-mentioned synthetic resin film tape 100 includes: outer circumferential wall formation sections 120, a pair of right and left side wall formation sections 130, 130, and a pair of right and left inner circumferential wall formation sections 140, 140. The outer circumferential wall formation sections 120, adjacently engage with each other in a longitudinal direction of the tape during linear movement and separate from each other to open at predetermined pitches in the longitudinal direction of the tape during flexing movement. The pair of right and left side wall formation sections 130, 130, are adjacently disposed through a folding V groove 110 on both sides of the outer circumferential wall formation section 120. The pair of right and left side wall formation sections 130, 130 are adjacently engaged with each other in the longitudinal direction of the tape during linear movement. The pair of right and left side wall formation sections 130, 130 separate from each other to open at predetermined pitches in the longitudinal direction of the tape during flexing movement. Finally, the pair of right and left inner circumferential wall formation sections 140, 140, are adjacently disposed through a folding V groove 110. The pair of right and left inner circumferential wall formation sections 140, 140, are engaged with each other in an overlapped manner along the longitudinal direction of the tape when assembled and are oppositely disposed from the outer circumferential wall formation section 120.
The folding V groove 110 is formed as a V groove having an angle of 90 degrees between sides of the device. A cable accommodating space R which is formed by a synthetic resin film tape 100. The back side of the synthetic resin film tape 100 shown in
The cable C is accommodated in the cable accommodating space R and may be any length. The synthetic resin film tape 100 may be manufactured as a continuing integrated body in accordance with any body length. As a result, the synthetic resin film tape 100 can be used to accommodate a long cable C in the cable accommodating space R.
It is contemplated that the synthetic resin film tape 100 may be easily adapted to any length necessary to accommodate a cable C in the cable accommodating space R. The synthetic resin film tape 100 is continuously extruded and may also be cut in accordance with the particular length of the cable C to be accommodated in the cable accommodating space R.
A splitting slit 150 separates the outer circumferential wall formation sections 120 and the pair of right and left side wall formation sections 130, 130 from each other at a predetermined pitch in a longitudinal direction of the tape during flexing movement. The splitting slit 150 is disposed by punching, so that it crosses the folding V groove 110 at a predetermined pitch and at the same time splits the folding V groove, while leaving the pair of right and left inner circumferential wall formation sections 140, 140 intact.
In this manner, since a punching interval in the synthetic resin film tape 100 can be appropriately selected, a flexing pitch for forming the cable accommodating space R can be easily changed.
Thus, the synthetic resin film tape 100 is subjected to punching while leaving a pair of right and left inner circumferential wall formation sections 140, 140 intact to form a stable flexing path during flexing movement.
The above-mentioned outer circumferential wall formation sections 120 contain a concave portion/convex portion engagement mechanism 160 in the splitting slit 150. The concave portion/convex portion engagement mechanism 160 comprises: a trapezoid tongue piece-shaped convex portion 161 and an inverse trapezoid-shaped concave portion 162 which engages with the trapezoid tongue piece-shaped convex portion 161. Such a to concave portion/convex portion engagement mechanism 160 restricts lateral shifts of the adjacent outer circumferential wall formation sections 120 through the splitting slit 150, so that smooth linear movement is attained. The concave/convex portion engagement mechanism 160 avoids snaking movement during linear movement.
Further, an insertion protrusion mechanism 170 is provided at predetermined intervals in the above-mentioned pair of right and left inner circumferential wall formation sections 140, 140 along the longitudinal direction of the tape. The insertion protrusion mechanism 170 is comprised of an insertion protrusion 171 formed in one inner circumferential wall formation section 140 and an insertion hole 172 formed in the other inner circumferential wall formation section 140 to which the former inner circumferential wall formation section 140 is inserted. Thus, this insertion protrusion mechanism 170 causes the pair of right and left inner circumferential wall formation sections 140, 140 to engage each other in an overlapped manner along the longitudinal direction of the tape. As a result, distortion of the rectangularly shaped cable accommodating space R likely to occur in the pair of right and left inner circumferential wall formation sections 140, 140 is restricted. Additionally, dimensional stability of the cable accommodating space R is ensured during any time of linear movement and flexing movement.
Further, a circular open window 180 is provided at the intersection of the V groove 110 for folding the above-mentioned side wall formation section 130 and the inner circumferential wall formation section 140 and the splitting slit 150. The circular open window 180 penetrates into the cable accommodating space R.
This circular open window 180 absorbs the distortion of the cable accommodating space R likely to occur by an internal movement of the cable C during linear movement and during flexing movement. As a result, excellent shape retention is ensured. Further, this construction contributes to weight reduction and also enables observation of an accommodated state of the cable C in the cable accommodating space R.
In the thus obtained folding assembly type cable protection and guide device, a cable C is accommodated into the cable accommodating space R. A cable accommodating space R of an optimum length is formed as an integrated body. The accommodation of a long body in the accommodating space is easily ensured. Further assembly is simplified. Connecting a number of individual link plates as in a conventional protection and guide chain to provide a specific length is not necessary. Further, even if the synthetic resin film tape 100 is long, it can be easily manufactured. Since the synthetic resin film tape 100 can be easily folded using a folding V groove 110, a rectangular shape cable accommodating space R can be uniformly, reliably assembled to a predetermined size along the longitudinal direction of the tape. A synthetic resin film tape can be easily assembled by enclosing the cable with a connector from both sides along the longitudinal direction of the tape. Thus, the effects of this invention are very significant.
Next, a folding assembly type cable protection and guide device, which is the second example according to the present invention, will be described by use of
Here,
The folding assembly type cable protection and guide device which is the second example of the present invention is basically the same as the folding assembly type cable protection and guide device, of the first example of the present invention. Thus, the same portions as those shown in
Namely, although the above-mentioned folding assembly type cable protection and guide device, which is the first example of the present invention includes circular open windows 180, the folding assembly type cable protection and guide device, which is the second example of the present invention, includes rectangular open windows 280. However, other remaining points are entirely the same.
Thus, in the folding assembly type cable protection and guide device of the second example, as in the first example, a cable C to be accommodated into the cable accommodating space R may be a long body. If the folding assembly type cable protection and guide device is cut as a continuing integrated body in accordance with the length of the long body, a cable accommodating space R of an optimum length adapted to the cable is easily provided. Further, a large assembly manufacturing burden to adapt to a new cable length by connecting a number of link plates as required in a conventional protection and guide chain is not necessary in the present invention. Further, even if a synthetic resin film tape 200 is a long body, it can be manufactured without requiring various sizes of metal molds in injection molding or casting. The synthetic resin film tape 200 can be easily manufactured without changing the size of a metal mold. The synthetic resin film tape 200 is adaptable with the length of a cable C to be accommodated into the cable accommodating space R. Since the synthetic resin film tape 200 can be easily folded using a folding V groove 210, a rectangular shape cable accommodating space R can be uniformly, reliably assembled to a predetermined size along the longitudinal direction of the tape. Thus, the effects of the second example are also very significant.
Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the invention has been set forth by way of example only and that many changes may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-201075 | Jul 2006 | JP | national |
